Apparatus for coating disks and similar articles.



No. 870,569. .PATENTED NOV. 1 2, 190?. '1'. H. mcnemw & Pu L. 'cAPPs. mmmws FOR comme- DISKS AND SIMILAR ARTIGLES.

APELIGATION FILED FEB-14, 1907.

TIIN ITE ATES.

PATENT FFICEQ' APITARATUS FOR- COATING Specification of Letters Patent.

, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- DISKS AND. SIMILAR ARTICLES.

Patented Nov. 12,1907.'

Application filed February 14. 1907- Serial No. 357,397-

suitable actuating mechanism.

The object of the invention is to carry forward the ideas suggested in the Hoyt & Gaven patents of January 2, 1906, (Nos/808,842, 808,843, and 809,263), and

as more particularly set forth in certain other pending applications.

The particular purpose of this apparatus is to place upon suitable disks of paper or the like the proper quantity of glaze which is to constitute the sinface' of the disk sound-records.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings that represent one embodiment thereof.

In these drawings Figure .1 is a side view partly broken away; and 'Fig. 2 a plan of a portion of the apparatus. I

1 represents the hopper, 2 the heating-box, and 3 the return conveyor. At thebottoni of the hopper 1 is a grating 4, having a mesh somewhat larger than is necessary to permit the passage of the powdered material. The latter, indicated at 5, will not flow freely through the grating, because ofits tendency to pack.

6 and 7 represent two metal rods orbars mounted'in the hopper as indicated, the ends of one of them, as 6, extending on each side beyond thewalls of the hopper, so as to be acted upon by the-striker 8. There is one of these strikersS on each side of the. apparatus. It is shown as pivoted to the hopper and connected near one end to a strong spring 9 which tends to hold its other, end against the protruding end oi'the bar 6; while the v v b revolutions oi disk 10, carrying one or more (three)v pins 11, raisev this striker from the bar 6. against the action of its spring 9; and as soon as each pin'rcleases the striker, its spring causes the latter to strike a sharp blow upon the end of the rod 6;.

At 12 is shown an adjusting-nutior regulating the tension of the spring 9 so as to regulate the force (if the blow.

13- 13 represent drums or the like carrying a plu-. rality of endless chains 14, which latteroperate not only as a conveyer, but also as-a sieve as will be. explained. The drum 13 is driven by power in any suitable mannenwhich will likewise revolve the disks 10, as by a sprocket-chain or belt. I

with.

15 is a pit located beneath the chains 14, so that all of I. the powdered material 5 that does not fall upon a paper disk, will fall through into this pit 15. By arranging a trough 16 infront of the pit, from which it may be separated by a vertically-sliding door 17, the material that falls through maybe scooped up and replaced in the upper hopper 1. A casing .incl'oses conveyer .14 I andpit 15, to prevent the escape of material in the form of, dust etc.

The heating-box '2 consists of a long tunnel or casing through which extends a number of steam-coils l8.

.19-19' represent drums carrying the endless belt or conveyer 20, drum 19 being driven in any convenient manner, but preferably independent of drum 13. A number of rollers (one ofwhich is. shown at 21) may be employed to support the upper surface of the conveyer, 7C or the conveyor may run upon the steam-pipes IS.

The drum 13 is placed below and in front of the hoppenl, so that an attendant may feed the paper tablets (preferably coated with resin) upon the portion of convever l l which is there exposed by the omission of the casing at 22. The drum 19. of theconveyer in the heatbox is mounted-as close as may be to the drum 13 of the cl1ain-conveyer;and bridge 23, whose edges are concave to' correspond to the two adjacent drums, is mounted between the two and as close to them asicon- .veni cnt. A depending partition 24 may be arranged above bridge 23, leaving between the two only suflivcient space for the passage of the successive coated disks.

At the extreme end of the heat-box, and beyond its conveyor, is the reversing-plate 25, diagonal as shown, so as to deliver the heated disks, face downward, to the return-conveyer 3, which needs no further description (except to say that its upper portion may be supported by a number of rollers as 21). In front of the return conveyer, which is open to the air, and upon which a cooling breeze may be caused to play or it may be otherwise cooled), maybe another diagonal reversingplate 26, to depositthe successive disks, right side up, into a basket or tray 27 The plate 25 is arranged diagonally as shown merely because the return-con veyer lies underneath the heat-box; if' it were desired to have the return-conveyer to extend in the same direction beyond the heat-box, of course there would be no need for arranging this plate 25 diagonally. But. if the plate 25 is arranged to reverse the disks. then it is desirable to have the plate 26 diagonal so as to turn the disks right side up, though this latter may be dispensed The ciperation of our apparatus is as follows: The 10 hopper liaving been more or less filled withthe pow dered glaze, and the proper tension having been im-- parted to. the spring 9 (by the nut 12' the attendant proceeds to place, one after the other, the (resined) disks upon the conveyer'l l, at the open space 22 in front of the hopper. As each disk is being carric. beneath the sieve -l, the striker 8 is striking smartly upon the framework 6--7, and causes a shower of the powdered material to descend. A sufficient amount is deposited upon the disks in the course oi the travel beneath the sieve 4., while the balance of the shower falls into the pit 15 from which it may be used again to replenish the hopper. Meantime, the powdered disks are being c'arried over the bridge-piece 23 and deposited. upon the conveyer in theheat-chamber 2. This chamber should be of considerable length, that the powdered material may be subjected to the heat a sumcient length of time, in order that it may become'soit enough to cohere and to adhere to the paper disk.

' When the disk reaches the end of this chamber, it falls upon the inclined plate 25, and is thereby inverted and delivered ,face downward upon the cooling conveyor 3; so that, by the time it is delivered into the tray 27, it may be of about normal temperature. If the powder falls too freely, the tension of spring 9 is lessened, so

that the blow struck shall not be so hear/y, and less powder will fall; and vice versa. The length of the heating-box depends somewhat upon the speed of travel of the conveyers. li' they travel very slowly ployed ior coating he heat-box may be comparatively short, since the powder will be subjected to tlie'heat during a comparatively long period of time; but ilthe apparatus be made to run faster, so as to turn out more work in a given time, the heat box should be lengthened accordingly.

The tablets or disks referred to may be of paper or thin cardboard or other suitable material, and they will preferably be coated with resin; and the powdered material referred to may consist wholly or in more or less large propol'tious of shellac. But the-nature of the disks and of the powdered material form no part of the present invention, since our apparatus may be emany body with any powdered or rranular material.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangeinent oi' the parts, and some of the parts of our inv amass 2. The combination with a hopper having a sieve, and a perforated conveyer beneath the same, of'a heat-box con- Iaining asccond conveyor in juxtaposition to the first conveyor. v

:i. The combination with a hopper having a sieve, and a peri'oraied conveyor beneath the same", of a heat-box conraining a second conveyer in juxtaposition-t0 the first con-- veyer, and a bridge spanning the space between the two conveyers.

, i. The combination of a hopper and a. conveyer beneath the same, a heat-box having a second eonveyer in juxtaposition to the first conveyor, and a cooling conveyor adjacent to said heat-box. i

.1. The combination of a hopper and a conveyor beneath the same, a heat-box having a second-conveyer in juxtaposition to.the first conveyer, a cooling conveyer adjacent thereto, and means for inverting-articles carriedby said heating conveyer to deliver them upside down on the cool- .ing conveyer.

G. The combination with a hopper having one or more transverse bars, a revoluble disk having plus, a lever having adjustable spring control and mounted to be actuated by said pins and to strike upon said bar. 1

l. A hopper having'a sieve. a perforated conveyor beneath the same. common means for imparting a blow to said hopper and for driving said conveyor and means for adjusting the force of the blow. v

S. In a disk-coating apparatus, a hopper-having a sieve, a plurality of endless chains beneath the sameand constituting a perforated conveyer, a casing inclosing .said

chains and a pitbeneath the same, and a trough adjacent to said pit.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS II. UACDONALDJ FRANK L. (.IAl lS.

Witnesses A. B. Knoiioii.

(. A. (human. 

